1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of support structures for supporting and restraining an elevated surface above a fixed surface, such as support structures to elevate surface tiles for elevated floors, decks and walkways.
2. Description of Related Art
Elevated building surfaces such as elevated floors, decks, terraces and walkways are desirable in many environments. One common system for creating such surfaces includes a plurality of surface tiles, such as concrete tiles (e.g., pavers), stone tiles or wood tiles, and a support structure including, for instance, a plurality of spaced-apart support pedestals upon which the tiles are placed to be supported above a fixed surface. The support pedestals can be used in outdoor or indoor environments and may be capable of supporting heavy loads applied by many types of building surfaces. For example, in outdoor applications, the surface may be elevated above a fixed surface by the support pedestals to promote drainage, to provide a level structural surface for walking, and/or to prevent deterioration of or damage to the surface tiles.
The pedestals can have a fixed height, or can have an adjustable height such as to accommodate variations in the contour of the fixed surface upon which the pedestals are placed, or to create desirable architectural features. For instance, one type of support pedestal generally includes a threaded base member and a threaded support member that is threadably engaged with the base member to enable the height of the support pedestal to be adjusted by rotating the support member or the base member relative to the other. The support pedestal can also include a coupling or coupler member disposed between the base member and the support member for further increasing the height of the pedestal, if necessary. Alternatively, support or coupler members may be in the form of a pipe or box-shaped support that may be cut to length. Support pedestals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,685 by Kugler and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0261329 by Kugler et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Although a variety of shapes are possible, in many applications the surface tiles are generally rectangular in shape, having four corners. In the case of a rectangular shaped tile, each of the spaced-apart support pedestals can support four adjacent surface tiles at the tile corners. Stated another way, each rectangular surface tile can be supported by four pedestals that are disposed under each of the corners of the tile. Large or heavy tiles can be supported by additional pedestals at positions other than at the corners of the tiles.